FRANCESCO RICCI BITTI was elected president of SportAccord Convention on Thursday following an exec committee meeting in Lausanne. It is the "latest twist in the saga" following former SportAccord President MARIUS VIZER's speech criticizing the IOC and its President THOMAS BACH at this year's convention in Sochi, which "caused such controversy." The fall-out from the affair "eventually forced Vizer to resign as head of both SportAccord and the SportAccord Convention" (INSIDE THE GAMES, 6/25). ... Brasileiro side Grêmio made Dir CESAR PACHECO its new football VP. He replaces FÁBIO KOFF, who "left for personal reasons." Exec Dir RUI COSTA will "take over" Pacheco's old duties (GLOBO ESPORTE, 6/25). ... DAVID ALLEN, who was named the UFC's senior VP and GM of Europe, Middle East & Africa just six months ago, has left the company. He resigned due to "personal reasons." His departure was "sudden, as he just presided over the UFC Berlin event this past weekend." The company announced the news internally on Monday. No "replacement has been found just yet" (MMA FIGHTING, 6/24). ... Former Pakistan cricketer ZAHEER ABBAS was appointed the Int'l Cricket Council president, on day three of the apex cricket body's Annual Conference week. Abbas began his one-year term and thanked the ICC Board and the Full Council for confirming his nomination. ICC Chair N. SRINIVASAN congratulated Abbas (PTI, 6/25).
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